


Aradia and Dave at a party

by Catty_Cathy



Series: Life on Earth C [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Developing Relationship, Dreambubbles, Earth C (Homestuck), Family Reunions, Intimacy, Moving Out, Multi, Party, Past Relationship(s), Quadrant Confusion, Relationship Discussions, Troll Romance (Homestuck), leaving the void to live on earth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26867305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catty_Cathy/pseuds/Catty_Cathy
Summary: Dave and Aradia find themselves talking about their relationships with their respective grumpy boys of choice. The situation devolves into Dave and Karkat discussing their relationship and their house that has been feeling empty the last few ears.
Relationships: Aradia Megido & Dave Strider, Aradia Megido & Karkat Vantas, Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Sollux Captor & Aradia Megido, Sollux Captor & Dave Strider, Sollux Captor & Karkat Vantas, Sollux Captor/Aradia Megido
Series: Life on Earth C [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2012341
Kudos: 25





	Aradia and Dave at a party

She's leaning over a table holding a cup of soda looking over the other guests on this day-time reunion on the Propit sisters' backyard. She has been there for a while, and is looking at Sollux who's on the other side talking with Karkat. It's a warm reunion between them, haven't seen each other for almost 13 years now. She doesn't feel all that emotional over coming down to Earth C, as the closest bond she had with the living were too far off now. Not even Terezi was there to greet her, and Rose would only come in a few hours, Jade was glued to June and worried about her sister as she had been since she moved in to her house. Aradia was standing alone there, and activated her now default mode of "Over Looking", doing nothing more than swallowing in the different interactions on the party.  
She tilts her head to the side and notices Dave walking to her direction, he had left Karkat and Sollux to talk among themselves and Aradia lost his sight until just now. He waves hi and Aradia puts her smile on waving back stiltedly.  
DAVE: hey  
ARADIA: hi  
They go back to just standing and looking, until Dave decides to break the silence.  
DAVE: so like  
DAVE: i dont mean to make this awkward  
ARADIA: oh i'm sure you'll find a way  
DAVE: yeah i just  
DAVE: i just wanted to ask like  
DAVE: what is your...relationship? with sollux?  
DAVE: like now that him and karkat are just sort of going at it over there  
DAVE: i mean im just curious  
DAVE: but if you dont feel like talking about it its chill  
ARADIA: oh no, that sounds like a reasonable question  
DAVE: uh it is?  
ARADIA: we used to get it a lot from our friends in alternia  
ARADIA: we're off quadrant! it works for us  
DAVE: oh uh  
DAVE: uh  
DAVE: what the fuck does that mean  
ARADIA: it means we don't put a label on it basically  
ARADIA: i'm not sure what you know about alternian romance but it was...complicated  
ARADIA: so to sum it up, we decided to not really put it on a quadrant  
DAVE: right  
DAVE: so like  
DAVE: instead of dating or hate dating or friend dating or cock blocking you just  
DAVE: don't date?  
ARADIA: hm i figure this wouldn't translate well to human terms  
ARADIA: so i'm not sure if there can even be a human version of that, but me and sollux just sort of  
ARADIA: ...we enjoy each other's company  
ARADIA: and we like doing stuff together and to make each other feel good and all of those things  
ARADIA: but we don't really call it a matespritship, or a moirailigence  
ARADIA: and we're okay like that  
DAVE: hm thats cool  
DAVE: the two of you just doing your thing  
DAVE: so is that like a big deal on your planet?  
DAVE: that youre not on a quadrant?  
ARADIA: ugh yes  
ARADIA: quadrants are complicated, and it's the type of complication you only really ~choose~ to put on you life if you really want to  
ARADIA: if you have the ability, the patience, the maturity and the  
ARADIA: time  
ARADIA: to spare  
ARADIA: which me and sollux never really had honestly?  
ARADIA: among all the prophetic visions and doomed timelines and life and death scenarios  
ARADIA: even after both of us left the game into the dreambubbles, it didn't seem like a good place to even allow a quadrant relationship to happen  
ARADIA: literally nothing about our situation was conventional, so it's not like we even needed to be  
ARADIA: so we just didn't put it on a quadrant  
DAVE:  
DAVE: wow huh  
DAVE: thats  
DAVE: thats dope actually  
DAVE: i know that the way you said makes it sound you just didnt have the maturity to commit there  
DAVE: with the whole "we just didnt have the time" stuff  
ARADIA: hehe, yeah  
DAVE: but i feel like  
DAVE: deciding to just do your own thing without putting on yourself the pressure to act like boyfriend and girlfriend is actually the more mature thing to do  
DAVE: like it takes a lot to commit with something like that  
ARADIA: heh, i suppose  
ARADIA: it still doesn't feel like this big decision we took  
ARADIA: we just sorta did what felt right for us  
ARADIA: and it happened to be that being off-quadrant was that  
DAVE: sounds real good  
DAVE: heh sounds better than what i have to deal with  
ARADIA: ?  
DAVE: its just like  
DAVE: i dont know what the fuck is happening with me and karkat at any given moment  
DAVE: so its pretty cool that you and sollux are so on the same page there  
ARADIA: aw thank you  
ARADIA: my tip is just that you need to be clear with what you want, and if you are you'll maybe find someone who wants the same  
ARADIA: plus the thing with karkat?  
ARADIA: i'd say you two are a pretty good couple! i can see that karkat seems to be on a better mood these days  
DAVE: yeah thanks  
They take a break from the talk, now more comfortable by each other's side. They take another look at this casual party as they stand by the snacks table that is already half empty. It's a nice little thing, Jade does this reunions every now and then to liven up hers and June's house, the 12 who crossed the door by the end of SBURB don't have a lot of chances outside of these reunions she organizes. Dave refills his cup and holds it with both hands itching into his left hand a bit. He looks rather thoughtful which catches Aradia's attention a bit.  
DAVE: its complicated actually  
DAVE: with karkat  
DAVE: we just...dont even feel like a couple?  
DAVE: uh sorry  
DAVE: i dont mean to talk your ear off here  
ARADIA: oh i don't mind  
ARADIA: it's my first time down here so i'm kinda fascinated by everything that's been happening  
ARADIA: plus sollux and karkat just seem busy over there  
ARADIA: so i'd say there's plenty of  
DAVE:  
ARADIA:  
DAVE:  
ARADIA:  
DAVE:  
ARADIA: time  
ARADIA: between us  
DAVE: cool so anyways  
DAVE: i guess its the thing you said about "do what feels right"  
DAVE: because its like  
DAVE: im not sure if dating is what feels right for me and karkat  
DAVE: because if we were meant to be dating itd be official by now i guess  
DAVE: hell weve been together for like 13 years now  
DAVE: and weve been together but not really *together* yknow?  
ARADIA: hm  
ARADIA: so you never actually decided to call it a matespritship? or the human equivalent of that?  
DAVE: yeah not even that  
DAVE: i mean its not like we really make it ambiguous  
DAVE: like everyone fucking knows  
DAVE: we sleep on the same bed for fucks sake  
ARADIA: O_O  
DAVE: i know  
DAVE: and we still dont even do anything else  
DAVE: i mean  
DAVE: okay we do but like  
DAVE: its a whole thing is what im saying  
DAVE: like we dont talk about it we just do gay shit together and dont mention how gay it is while or after we do it  
ARADIA: what's a gay?  
DAVE: i just  
DAVE: .....  
DAVE: okay sorry i made it awkward  
DAVE: i think ill just fuck off over there  
ARADIA: no wait  
ARADIA: this is actually so funny  
DAVE: oh and thats a good thing?  
ARADIA: dave, it's just that  
ARADIA: heh i'm sorry it's just that  
ARADIA: i know that karkat can be complicated on his rituals of affection  
ARADIA: and those are further complicated when put through the lens of troll romance  
ARADIA: so that's a mess of it's own  
ARADIA: added with the human's rituals, and terms such as "gay" i can only imagine a ~fraction~ of the big scope issues here  
DAVE: yes its all a mess and i want to just lie on the ground and decompose  
ARADIA: oh that doesn't happen to god tiers, speaking from experience  
ARADIA: i just meant that you shouldn't feel like "it should have happened already"  
ARADIA: just, listen to all of the layers you're dealing with here  
ARADIA: not to say that you should just not do anything  
ARADIA: i just think you should acknowledge the natural troubles here  
ARADIA: there is only so much you can change about each other, and if you don't want to fit into a traditional relationship model for either species, then maybe you're not supposed to  
ARADIA: which is honestly something i sort of struggled with when i was younger, before just sort of rebelling against structures from my planet as a whole  
DAVE: hm...  
DAVE: yeah  
DAVE: thats a good one  
DAVE: thanks for that  
ARADIA: you're welcome  
ARADIA: i liked talking about all of this  
ARADIA: it's been a while, since i just talked about life like this  
ARADIA: which well, is to expect of someone who hangs out with the dead as often as i do  
DAVE: yeah i imagine  
DAVE: like what do you even talk about with your ghost friends  
ARADIA: oh you know, since they are all from different timelines and some even have different ages than the ones i'm used with  
ARADIA: we just sort of have plenty of ice-breakers  
ARADIA: never really run out of stuff to talk about, when they are someone you already knew, but from a different series of events  
DAVE: heh yeah  
DAVE: i was never into that part of timetravelling really  
DAVE: mostly because i just needed to clear out time loops? like i didnt even plan to interact with people when i was doing that  
DAVE: but i guess the dream bubbles are more than that huh  
ARADIA: oh they certainly were  
ARADIA: but well, with paradox space in shambles not a lot me and sollux could do  
DAVE: so the two of you just came down here?  
ARADIA: yes pretty much  
DAVE: cool  
DAVE: and youre like  
DAVE: moving in?  
ARADIA: well i suppose so  
ARADIA: we didnt really make plans, we just sort of had to leave  
DAVE: uh but what happened theere exactly?  
ARADIA: hum  
ARADIA: let's just say that paradox space is under new management  
DAVE: oh ok  
Both go back to standing there. Aradia can notice Dave mildly bothered by her ominous statement, but it's also all that she could understand of the situation that kicked her and Sollux out of their after life, they went rogue now, and are on Earth C for good she guesses.  
ARADIA: i'm sure we'll figure something out  
ARADIA: it almost feels...exciting? to have to worry about such mortal matters as housing right now  
ARADIA: me and sollux haven't done anything but wander and talk in a while, it feels sort of nostalgic  
DAVE: heh, yeah  
DAVE: never thought id grow up to just have to worry about that and not much else  
DAVE: like wheres the greek titans to fight or whatever? i thought theyd be a permanent part of my life or whatever  
ARADIA: hah, i get that! like when i was a kid and i had to worry about being culled, going off planet to live as a maid  
ARADIA: have to deal with a shorter life than usual, and well i guess all of those did happen  
ARADIA: and then i was super thrilled to simply hang out with ghosts all day  
ARADIA: and now i'm here  
ARADIA: heheh, not bad a life for a lowblood like me  
ARADIA: really didn't expect that much  
Aradia feels calmer with that statement. Sort of contempt thinking about all that has changed over her life. She really couldn't have predicted any of this, so she can't help but to smile more than she already was.  
DAVE: yeah me neither  
DAVE: although uh i think you had way more going down in alternia  
DAVE: with the like maid stuff and lifespan talk  
ARADIA: he don't get me started on those  
ARADIA: i say that but i don't actually know enough about Earth C to even point out the differences or anything  
ARADIA: but i guess that's gonna change, now that i'm here  
DAVE: well then i guess this is your welcome party  
DAVE: welcome to earth c  
ARADIA: thanks!  
The two shake hands and touch their cups as a small celebration, they feel at ease now, just trading glances chattering about various life changes they can sort of understand on each other, and keep going until they notice Karkat and Sollux have left their spots on which they were talking with a few yells exchanged between them and are now closer. Karkat waves at Aradia and Sollux moves his head in acknowledgement of Dave who tilts his head forward in answer, they have now been acquiented, Karkat reaches to Dave and kisses him on the cheek as Aradia reunites with Sollux holding into his arm. There are four of them by the snacks table now.  
KARKAT: SO DAVE YOU ALREADY KNOW ARADIA AND THIS OTHER ASSHOLE.  
DAVE: yeah we been talking  
DAVE: me and aradia at least  
KARKAT: GREAT BECAUSE SOLLUX AND I HAVE DECIDED THAT THE TWO WILL MOVE IN WITH US.  
DAVE: oh wow  
DAVE: ok not even a big decision to take with only half of the people living there to take  
KARKAT: YEAH I KNEW YOU'D TAKE IT WELL  
SOLLUX: t0 make it clear, that was his idea   
SOLLUX: me and aradia are d0ing fine 0ver here, kk just wants t0 be a squawkbeast lusus and h0g in s0me rand0s int0 his nest  
KARKAT: SORRY IF I DON'T WANT MY CHILDHOOD FUCKING FRIEND TO DIE ON THE STREETS BECAUSE APPARENTLY LIVING ON DREAM GHOST WORLD WASN'T AS VIALABLE AS A LIVING AS YOU'D THINK.  
KARKAT: WE HAVE TOO MUCH EMPTY SPACE EVER SINCE JADE MOVED OUT ANYWAY, IT'S NOT LIKE WE AREN'T ABLE TO.  
ARADIA: aw karkat that's so kind! we'll make good jade replacements i just know it!  
KARKAT: DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT, WE'RE NOT DOING THIS JUST BECAUSE JADE'S OUT OF THE PICTURE  
DAVE: now that i think about it, aradia kinda looks like her, long curly hair and all  
SOLLUX: g0d that's messed up, y0u really want a replacement g0ld fish huh  
KARKAT: OH YOU FUCKING WISH YOU COULD BE AS GOOD A FISH AS JADE WAS.  
KARKAT: I JUST THOUGHT THAT MAYBE TANGLING YOURSELF INTO THE SAME ASSHOLE FOR 7 YEARS ON THE SAME HOUSE CAN ONLY BE SO TOLERABLE BEFORE IT'S UNHEALTHY.  
DAVE: (uh so is this about another thing im not picking up on)  
KARKAT: (we can talk about the details later Dave)  
KARKAT: AND IT'S NOT LIKE THESE CLUELESS MANIC PIXIE DREAM TROLLS EVEN HAVE HOPES OF GETTING BY ON A PLANET THEY SUCCESSFULLY GHOSTED FOR YEARS NOW.  
KARKAT: AND I'M THE ONLY FRIEND SOLLUX EVEN HAS RIGHT NOW  
SOLLUX: (wanna just leave and see if kanaya or terezi w0uld be d0wn)  
ARADIA: (sol you know karkat, he's doing that more for his sake than us, we should just comply)  
SOLLUX: (i really d0n't think this is f0r the "sake" of any0ne here)  
KARKAT: SO ANYWAY, SINCE NEITHER OF YOU EVEN HAVE BAGGAGE WE'D BE OKAY RECIEVING YOU AFTER THIS GET-TOGETHER IS OVER.  
Karkat has his chest puffed and hand on Dave's arm as if trying to show off the two house owners who'd so kindly and so humbly offering a roof to sleep under, assuming that God tiers and the Half-dead even need to sleep.  
SOLLUX: right  
DAVE: yeah thats ok i think  
ARADIA: i'm looking forward to it!  
On that final note of happiness and contempt, they keep rambling about the house until Aradia notices that Terezi and Rose have arrived, she flutters her wings at their sight and tells Sollux that she's going to see them, which Sollux is more than happy to make company.  
Karkat and Dave are left alone by the Snacks table.  
DAVE: right so  
DAVE: not to rub in but i think youre dealing with some empty nest kinda deal  
DAVE: like i get it jade left a few years ago and its been sorta weird and lonely  
DAVE: but uh aint it too early on on the process of reuniting with your childhood friends to just invite them in to mess with our sense of balance and routine  
KARKAT: I DON'T THINK SO  
DAVE: good counter argument  
DAVE: but hear this out i do think so  
KARKAT: LISTEN, THIS IS NOT EVEN ABOUT JADE, SHE LEFT, SHE WANTED TO GET CLOSER TO HER MOPEY-ASS SISTER, GOOD FOR HER!  
KARKAT: SHE MOVED ON WITH HER LIFE, AND LIKE, WHY CAN'T WE?  
DAVE: cool but why like this tho  
DAVE: getting people you havent seen in 13 ears to live in your house  
KARKAT: OH THEY HAVE BEEN SPENDING ALL THAT TIME ON THE DREAM BUBBLES, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT PLACE IS LIKE A FREEZER FOR CHARACTER GROWTH, THEY ARE BASICALLY THE SAME WEIRD TROLLS I REMEMBER.  
KARKAT: LIKE THAT'S WHAT I NOTICED TALKING WITH SOLLUX, HE FEELS LIKE THE SAME AS HE LEFT.  
DAVE: that sounds weird as hell my dude  
DAVE: like what are they still 12 then?  
KARKAT: WHAT NO!  
KARKAT: LOOK AT HOW MUCH TALLER THEY ARE! THEY OBVIOUSLY AGED  
KARKAT: I'M JUST SAYING THAT YOU ONLY REALLY GROW WHEN YOU'RE MET WITH COMPLICATIONS IN YOUR LIFE UNDER A SERIES OF SEMI-CONSTANT VARIABLES  
KARKAT: AND GUESS WHAT, THE DREAM BUBBLES DON'T HAVE ANY OF THIS SOCIETY SHIT WE HAD GROWING UP  
KARKAT: SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO CHANGE TO SUIT THEMSELVES INTO A SOCIETY LIKE WE DID TO GROW UP.  
KARKAT: SO THEY ARE JUST SORT OF, UNACOSTUMED TO JUST ABOUT, EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH ON EARTH C.  
KARKAT: I FEEL BAD FOR THEM REALLY, FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO GROW UP LIKE WE DID EVER SINCE WE ARRIVED  
KARKAT: AND IT'S LIKE, OUR CHANCE TO ALLOW THEM TO  
DAVE: cool cool cool  
DAVE: im following this is all pure of heart and shit  
DAVE: but i dont think that they are missing a whole lot in here yknow  
DAVE: like i get what you say about living in a society and whatnot but i dont think that earth c is that different from the dreambubbles  
DAVE: like what do we even need to do all day? we just sit around with a sloppy make out session between one bad movie and the other  
DAVE: and whatever they might get out of living with us wont really be the full *society* experience  
KARKAT: THEN THIS IS A CHANCE FOR US TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING  
KARKAT: MAYBE WE'D ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE DOING SHIT IN OTHER PLACES IF WE HAD PEOPLE LIKE THEM TO INTRODUCE SHIT TO  
KARKAT: AND THEN WE MIGHT DO ALL SORT OF SHIT TOGETHER  
DAVE: so this is about trying new things?  
DAVE: because if were bored with each other we shouldnt involve other people into that what do they have to do with anything  
KARKAT: I'M NOT FUCKING BORED OF YOU DAVE  
KARKAT: I'LL NEVER BE  
KARKAT: I JUST THINK THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN IMPROVE, THINGS WE DON'T DO BECAUSE WE DON'T FEEL OBLIGATED TO  
KARKAT: WE NEED SOMETHING TO PUSH US OFF OUR COMFORT ZONES  
KARKAT: BUT I GUESS I'M ALSO JUST  
KARKAT: TRYING TO GO BACK TO MY OLD COMFORT ZONE? WITH SOLLUX  
KARKAT: AND WELL, ARADIA TOO  
KARKAT: IT'S JUST THAT, AFTER ALL THE SHIT BETWEEN ME AND TEREZI AND KANAYA  
KARKAT: THOSE TWO FEEL LIKE SOMETHING I LOST FOREVER AGO  
KARKAT: AND I GUESS THAT'S MY WAY OF GETTING IT BACK  
DAVE: ...  
DAVE: yeah...  
DAVE: ...  
KARKAT: ...  
KARKAT: SORRY  
DAVE: what no you don't  
DAVE: ...so uh  
DAVE: sorry i said we were getting bored of each other  
DAVE: i just got nervous you were doing this because of that  
DAVE: i dont actually feel that by the way  
KARKAT: NO YOU DON'T NEED TO SUGAR COAT IT  
KARKAT: I GET IT  
KARKAT: EVEN IF WE'RE NOT LIKE, *BORED* BORED OF EACH OTHER  
KARKAT: WE'RE JUST LIKE, HOLDING EACH OTHER BACK IF WE DON'T LET OURSELVES LIVE OUTSIDE OF EACH OTHER  
KARKAT: AND I'M SORRY I COULDN'T WORD THAT OUT BEFORE THIS  
DAVE: no its chill  
DAVE: and like  
DAVE: i do miss being the three of us there  
DAVE: the house still feels a lot more empty   
DAVE: even if you still just take most of the bed and just sort of pushes me to the side as you sleep  
KARKAT: NO I DON'T YOU JUST DECIDE TO LAY ON THE FUCKING CORNER FOR NO REASON  
KARKAT: AND BY THE WAY, THEY ARE NOT SLEEPING ON OUR BED, YOUR COLD FEET ARE TOO MUCH ALREADY  
DAVE: hahah aw but wed be so cozy the four of us there  
KARKAT: THEY'LL SLEEP ON THE FUTTON  
KARKAT: OR MAYBE WE COULD SLEEP THERE IF THEY WANT TO?  
KARKAT: LIKE WE DON'T WANT TO BE BAD GUESTS  
DAVE: lmao im chill either way  
DAVE: hope they dont snore though  
The two keep yammering about their housemates plan as the party goes by, they bounce into conversations on another groups and meet with Aradia and Sollux by the exit when it's over.  
The four of us leave waving goodbye to the two hostesses, of which only June is even aware of what's been going on with them, since Dave feels awkward telling his ex-roommate about the news. They get into the car as the last guests to leave and get ready for their new home life.


End file.
